Flower Crowns and Freedom
by Myrtle Turtle 1
Summary: Who's to say that Peter Pan was the only person to ever dream up a land where they could escape? It's not her fault that they happened to be right next to each other, she only made the dream-the shadow did the rest. The Free Girls live by three rules- be wild, be happy, and more importantly be free.
1. Chapter 1: Dancing Sorrow

The birds sang their melodious song softly from the outside of Anastasia's room. The cold chill of the morning swept into her room and stayed, leaving her relishing in the warmth provided from her mother's hand knit quilt, the ends and patchwork having odd threads hanging off from the rushed job, winter had truly snuck up on the family of two.

With a quiet sigh, Anastasia pushed herself out of the bed that was a tad too short for her body, but she didn't mind. Her small feet danced across the scratched wooden floor, her body remembering its way around the small building. Soon enough, as she was sadly reminded, her feet brought her to largest part of the home, that itself wasn't that large, with its giant iron bowl that sat atop a glowing orange fire, a medium sized water basin, and table with chairs. It truly wasn't one of the most glamorous homes in the Enchanted Forest, in their village Kleines Dorf, but it was home. Anastasia found her mother sitting in one of the two wooden chairs, a bowl in her hand and an unfinished blanket being knitted in her lap. A smile wove its way onto her face as she looked at her mother, her feet tip toeing faster across the uneven floors.

Her feet halted as they stopped before her mother, whose warm smile could outshine the sun.

"Hello my flower," Her mother greeted her teasingly while setting the bowl down to poke the little girls' freckled nose causing a light giggle to emit from her mouth.

It was true; Anastasia did look a little flower, with her curly brown hair sticking up each way from sleep and her old daisy yellow cloth night dress being frayed at the bottom, but most importantly was those bright blue eyes that were full of so much innocence and curiosity. Instead of replying, Anastasia choose to playfully stick her tongue out at her mother, in such a way that seven year olds do. She opened her mouth to greet her mother but a loud yawn came out instead, with wide blue eyes Anastasia walked over to the giant bowl-careful of the fire- and ladled a bowlful of the morning's porridge.

Breakfast continued on as it normally did, with Anastasia's feet still too short to touch the floor in the chair. Her mother finished before her and placed her bowl into the water basin to clean. With a smile, after her mother was finished, she slyly walked over to her daughter, one hand behind her back and a sneaky smile beginning to form on her lips.

"Now my dear, guess what I have." Her mother said the smile growing as she leaned down and ruffled Anastasia's messy curls.

With a gasp, Anastasia leaped out of her chair, the porridge long forgotten, and tried to stretch her short arm to reach behind her mother's willowy frame, knowing what was behind her mother's back.

"Is it fixed Mama, is it fixed?" Anastasia question with anticipation, barely containing her hope and joy.

Her mother brought her hand forward to present a small, colorful, and varying flower head band that had been snapped in two months ago, her Mama finally having enough money to get it fixed. A squeal of happiness escaped Anastasia as she brought the headband into her arms and hugged it to her chest before placing it on her head, a warm and content feeling filling her body.

It didn't matter to Anastasia if her home was very small, if all she had was her mother for family, or if there was barely enough supplies-as long as she had the colors in her life, she was perfectly fine with her life.

* * *

Dimia smiled down at her daughter as she was cradled in her arms, the headband with its flowers barely sticking atop of her haphazard curls. With a quiet exhale of breathe, Dimia shifted her daughter in her arms and sat up from the chair, her daughter's stomach being full of food from their dinner and her sleepiness sinking in her body. With a few steps, carefully placed in the night's darkness, she was inside Anastasia's room and soon the little girl was lying in her bed, the doll still latched in her arms.

With sad brown eyes, Dimia looked at her daughters' room, with its dirty small bed, small mirror on the floor, and pile of clothes in the corner, the feeling of guilt and tears prickling at her. She wished more than anything to give her daughter a better life, one where she could be treated with everything the kindhearted girl deserved. Sadly, Dimia couldn't give her that life, not as a seamstress who could barely sew. Everything in their life had gone downhill when her husband Gene had died, in a tragic blacksmith accident at work. Now all they had to their name was a small hut for a home and the scraps people in their village had pityingly given them. Dimia was a proud woman, who didn't want to rely on others to get by in her life, but with Anastasia she had to push her own feeling aside-just to give the girl the best she deserved.

And she wasn't it. With another sigh and a fleeting glance, Dimia disappeared into the night.

* * *

_'Mama where are you, mama?'_

With a gasp, Anastasia shot up from her bed with a hand cradling where her heart was. Her breath came out in splutters and her body shook with unshed tears. Swallowing thickly and biting the inside of her cheek, she dragged herself out of the bed and shuffled out of the room, being mindful of the seven other girls that were sleeping. Her body soon led her outside of the orphanage that she had been living at for the last ten years. Its dreary gray from weather walls glared at her, which her dull blue eyes that were full of so much pain and anger happily returned. The dirt beneath her feet was almost frozen, which helped her to calm down from her dream, the dream that plagued her nights.

The dream of the morning she discovered her mother to be missing. It still haunted her, she could hear her youth self's screams echoing in her ears, feel the hands on her arms of her neighbors as they dragged her away from her home and into the orphanage. She could almost smell her home on the tip of her nose, with its musty smell and its flowery scent. Anastasia held back a shudder at the memories, biting the inside of her cheek as she felt the urge to cry.

She hated it, she hated being weak and wanting to cry like a little girl, she hated her mother for betraying her and leaving her with nothing, she hated the orphanage and its soul crushing sadness, and most of all she hated the stupid headband and its stupid flowers that she couldn't live without. It wasn't like she didn't need another reason for the other orphans to pick on her, what with her short height for a girl of seventeen years and her messy hair, adding a headband that she couldn't be away from just gave the boys there more to tease her about.

Before Anastasia could let her thoughts poison her mind more, the cold weather outside had become harsher with a sharp wind blowing its way through and a colder temperature that made Anastasia shiver in her white night dress. Her brown curls blew crazily around her face; her thin and pale hands could barely grasp it and keep the headband on top of her small head.

The air seemed to grow colder and colder, her arms grasped her frame in a pitiful effort to warm up, before she realized she could run back inside. She ran as fast as her stiff limbs could take her to the giant wooden door of Willow Tree Orphanage, her thin long fingers crazily grasped the handle and she pulled with all the strength in her body. She let out a strangled cry as she realized that her efforts were useless and the door was frozen shut. Gritting her teeth, Anastasia slumped down to the ground with her forehead resting on the cool wood of the door, her knees drawn to her chest. Choked sobs made their way out as she realized her fate, she would be frozen to death outside of a place, never knowing what it was like to have a family.

Her body shook with spasms and she selfishly wished she could trade places with another girl, she wished that she hadn't come outside, and most importantly she wished to have a home. At least a glance of one before she died.

It seemed like her fate had another plan, a white hot pain suddenly filled her senses and clouded the frostbite she was feeling. Anastasia soon realized her mouth was parted and hoarse screams were being released into the night. Her hands curled into the dirt as she fell slumped over towards the ground. The pain was relentless, her screams becoming shriller and hoarser as the pain continued. She didn't know what was happening, one moment she was waiting for the cold to freeze her beating heart, the next she is being blinded with pain and her head pounding as if the king's men were stomping into battle on it.

After what felt like days upon days of pain, who knows it could have been, when her screams were just croaked whimpers-the pain stopped. Her body still shook and tears slowly fell from her face and onto the brown dirt. Something wasn't right, she could feel it in her body, she felt different; she felt _wrong._

With another garrote sob, she slowly sat up with shaking limbs and weak knees. Her head, with its pounding slightly lessened, she lifted her head up and the curtain of hair parted, her flower headband falling to her hands-which weakly grasped it. A stifled gasp emitted a strange sound as her widened eyes stared into narrow yellow ones.

A black silhouette that was almost transparent, stared back at her and deftly stretched its hand out, it was the same height as her and its eyes seemed to have all the anger and pent up pain that hers had held. But, not all of it- Anastasia could still feel the burn of betrayal and the want of revenge in her body.

Without another word Anastasia's own hand grasped the, the _things_, hand and to her surprise it didn't fall through the chilling transparent form. Without warning the figure shot into the cloudy sky, the rest of the Enchanted Forest laid bellow her bare feet. Her own wonderment filled those blue eyes, which had become a bit brighter when she realized what was happening. Well, two things could be happening, no three. She could be getting kidnapped by a dark creature, she could be dreaming or dead in the cold, or she was about to start a great adventure.

* * *

With a gasp Anastasia's blue eyes flew open, her body automatically shooting up. Her eyes widened as she took in where she sat, it was a forest. Her eyes scanned around the area she was in, a small clearing that was surrounded by flowered trees, of purple, red, white, and pink. Its fragrant smell filled the air and Anastasia happily filled her nose with the smell, the sun was shining happily in the clearing. In the center of the clearing stood a proud, tall, and wide tree. It almost seemed as if it were fake or a dream, the tree was perfect in her eyes and it was almost as wide as her old home, the _house_ she had been abandoned in. Swallowing and closing her mouth, which had fallen open the moment she awoke, she timidly walked towards the tree, a pale and thin hand stretched towards it.

The moment her hand felt the smooth dark brown wood beneath her hand, the front of the tree disappeared, leaving an archway in its place. She gasped again and stepped back before almost laughing at her behavior, if she was dead than she was going to do whatever she wanted. Pursing her lips nervously, Anastasia placed a foot inside the tree, gasping once more as the bark shifted into steps. Her eyes narrowed in curiosity and she stepped onto the step, marveling in how another step appeared. She continued this pattern till the steps stopped and another archway was in front of her. Her eyes fluttered shut and she took a step forward, feeling the smooth floor shift beneath her feet. A smile danced its way onto her face, the first smile she had had without the girls back at the orphanage, and her eyes gladly shot open to see a room. The furniture was all wooden and grew out of the wooden floor, looking molded to the floor. The was a chest, a bed, covered in delicate looking leaves, a wooden mirror frame, and a beautiful window that stretched around the farthest part of the room with the wood caging it in as a net. The room was all round, no edges in the wall, and decorated in dark vines and deep red roses.

With a wider smile, Anastasia ran fully into the room, gasping again as she passed the mirror frame and saw a reflection appear as she passed it, but disappear when she wasn't in it.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" A deep and feminine voice asked aloud.

Anastasia stopped in her twirls around the room, her shoulders tensing. She swallowed loudly and slowly turned around, her breath becoming deeper. She widened her eyes as she saw the figure standing in front of her, making a strange sound-almost as if it were laughing at her.

"Who-w-what are you?" Anastasia bluntly asked, after collecting herself, standing up straighter with faked confidence.

"Well, technically I'm apart of you." It said in dark amusement, drifting closer but stopping when Anastasia's eyes narrowed.

"What do you mean?" Anastasia ordered, her fear filling her. She boldly stepped forward, her hands clenching the white night-gown.

"I'm your shadow," The figure, shadow, replied, "I freed myself to take you here, your own little place that you created, with my help of course."

The smug and superior tone in the shadows voice bothered Anastasia, she narrowed her eyes to a glare and her hands gripped the cloth so hard that her hands were turning red and white.

"Well thanks for that," Anastasia said somewhat sarcastic and grateful. The shadow seemed to be appeased by this and spoke again.

"You're welcome, your sadness and pain was overwhelming and this was my only option."

Anastasia rolled her eyes at the shadows flippant tone, and the shadow spoke once more.

"You know you can't call yourself that, Anastasia." Her shadow said her name mockingly, but was then serious.

"Rose," she replied hesitantly before sounding surer, "Rose Red."

**A/N: I read somewhere that Rose Red was already a character in OUaT, but I'm not sure. If she is, then I have eliminated her and made my own Red Rose. To help you out a bit with the time line, this is before Regina is born, so no Storybooke yet. I was inspired by this idea a few days ago, weirdly before I fell asleep, to write this and the idea has been in my head since. I know the first chapter is a bit rough, I had the idea of the story-just not how to get her there or which character she would be. After reading something I was like wait, isn't Rose Red a character!? Then I read the Wiki page and was really excited, I already had the title 'Flower Crowns and Freedom' in my head and the personality she has in her story and her back story fit perfectly, ignoring Snow White (who might have a play in this given last week's Storybrooke OUaT episode.) **

**Please review, it would mean so much to me! :) **

**Until next time, Myrtle Turtle 1 **

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the OUaT universe. If I did I would be apart of it and canon and I would run around Neverland and do things with Peter, but thats another story. I own nothing besides my OC's and my headbands that have nothing to do with this story. I also own Rose Red's awesome island, the Free Girls, and that tree house(literally) that I desperaly wish was real.**


	2. Chapter 2: Rose Bush

**A/N: I wanted to post this yesterday, but I had a Christmas party to go to and was back at around midnight. I hope you like this chapter; I think it's a bit better written than the first, but who knows? Also, just posted pictures of people that best fit the idea of my OC's on my profile and a picture of the white nightgown she wears. **

**Please, please review! *Begs on knees and offers food.* **

**Well on with the story, see you soon-with a longer chapter! **

A slow breeze blew in through the bare window, waking Rose Red from the deep sleep she had fallen in after meeting her shadow and getting taken to-well to wherever she was, she wasn't completely sure where she was. Unsurely, Rose Red crept out of the bed silently with one rose-pink lip captured between her teeth. Her bare feet that were covered in mud and her dirty white gown trailed on the floor. She wove her hand into her deep brown hair, forgetting about the flowers on her head and flung them off her head and down the wooden steps. Her hand fell out of her hair as she ran down the steps, cringing slightly as her feet sunk into the mud.

Her sharp blue eyes scanned the grassy and muddy floor; she even looked up into the blossoming trees, sadly noting she didn't see it. Rose Red creased her eyebrows in confusion; she wasn't sure where her flower band could have gone. It just didn't make sense. None of this made sense. If this was her afterlife, wasn't she supposed to decide what happened and what didn't? She most defiantly didn't want this.

"Looking for this?"

Startled, Rose Red's head shot up and her eyes met a green-blue color of a boy around her age eyes. He spoke in an unfamiliar accent; he was dressed in poorly sewn clothing of different materials in earth tones. Her smirked at her mockingly and held up the flower headband between two fingers, completely oblivious to how important it was.

"Give that to me." Rose Red ground out, her face contorting into anger; she moved to walk forward when he waved his other hand at her.

"Ah, ah, ah," He tsked in mock disappointment, his malice filled eyes giving him away, "Is that the nice way to ask?"

Her gaze hardened and she breathed deeply, "You don't look like you do things the nice way."

"You know what I don't." He agreed with her, shrugging his shoulders, "What's stopping me from snapping this?"

"No!" Rose Red shrieked out without realizing it, her eyes widened and fear overtook the fire that was once in them.

"Please don't," She pleaded.

"Fine I won't," He assured, before smirking again and bringing up a mock friendliness that was so strong that if his eyes didn't give him away Rose Red would have believed him to be honest, "As long as you give me what I want."

"Which is what?" Rose Red questioned, her guarded rising again and her angry making forming itself on her face again.

"You tell me why suddenly another island formed next to mine." His voice deepened and was laced with so much anger that Rose Red stepped back before questioning in confusion.

"That's where I am?" Her face dropped all anger and she looked innocently confused, which must have angered the boy.

"You don't know where you are?" He sounded amused at her confusion, and looked down on her with a patronizing glance. "Well my island is pretty different from yours."

To emphasis his point, he turned around and looked at her flower bushes and trees and little birds and animals that wandered around.

Rose Red couldn't help but ask him, "What is yours like, where are we?"

"My island is occupied with my Lost Boys; we can live forever in Neverland-which is my island, you're another island yourself. So tell me: _Where are we_, it's your island, you decide." He raised an eyebrow at her and for a moment his smile seemed genuine.

"I don't know," Rose Red replied flatly, her mind racing with this new development, she couldn't help but ask, "How different is yours from mine?"

"Well for starters, mine is run by _boys_ and definitely doesn't have flowers and little birdies on it. We do have a few mermaids, but that's another story." His words were mocking as he sneered at her island of sorts, "My island is a place were lost and pain filled boys can escape to."

"Mine must be for girls then." Rose Red pointed out, everything finally sinking in. "I guess then it's my turn to go rescue some lost people."

Before he could reply, a smirk made its way onto her face and her shadow swooped in and they both flew away, leaving the boy to realize they had taken the flower headband too, without him noticing.

* * *

Rose Red stared at the pathetic gray building in front of her, making her glare harden as she stormed into Willow Tree Orphanage. It was still early in the morning in the Enchanted Forest, the brick halls silent as her bare feet padded their way through the cool stone floors. Rose Red's gaze was unwavering as she stopped in front of the room she used o occupy. The door was thrown open and she walked into the room, the aura around her screaming that she was in charge now, the slightly sinister aura.

One of the younger girls, a twelve year old named Milania with bright orange hair and brown eyes that screamed abandonment and naivety, woke up at stared at the girl who nobody noticed almost died last night.

"Anastasia, what are you doing up?" Milania questioned while rubbing her eyes.

Instead of answering her or bothering to correct her about her name, Rose Red turned her attention to the other six girls that were waking up. Silently, Rose Red beckoned them towards her, as if she were about to share a secret. The girls, albeit confused, staggered forward in sleep as Rose Red silently raised her other hand that was clasped around a single red rose flower. She delicately blew onto the flower and a pink and yellow powder flew out and each girl took on a dazed look. Satisfied, Rose Red told them to follow her, which the girls did without questioning the small girl.

Rose Red led them to the outside of the orphanage where she proceeded to shake the rose above her head, silently thanking her shadow for telling her about the special roses that grew on her tree's branches, the tree she lived in now. The yellow and pink powder swirled around the thin frame of Rose Red and danced into each curl and twisted around each gaunt limb. Stretching a hand outwards, Rose Red's hands locked with one girl, a girl a year older who was very tall named Thea, who grasped hands with another girl and so on. With each girl interlocked like a chain, the powder danced in the wind over to each interlocked hand and twisted around it. Slowly, they flew into the sky, each one still holding their dazed expression.

* * *

The landing was rough, seeing as Rose Red could barely fly by herself, let alone with seven other girls. Each girl tumbled to the ground when exhaustion sank into Rose Red a few feet off the ground. With varying shrieks and yells the girls all fell to the grassy clearing, one girl being unlucky enough to land in a sparse muddy spot and another hanging from a pink blossom tree before falling into a bright green bush.

Rose Red stumbled over to her tree and leaned against the archway that had seeped open, ignoring the startled gasps from the others at that, absently wondering if that was what she sounded like the other day. Her breaths were deep and all too soon she was feeling better. She looked over at the other girls, the dazed expression gone-now replaced with confusion. Each girl looked over to Rose Red, clearly remembering what happened.

"Ana, what just happened? We flew and you took us, took us here!" Thea yelled out in confusion, "Why did I feel all the pain I felt from my parents dying and that unwanted feeling when you put that flower stuff on us?"

Rose Red winced internally before sauntering over to the tall blonde, staring into the dark green eyes, "My name is Rose Red now, and I gave you all a place where we could be free-where we could be the Free Girls we are. We live forever, we do what we want, and we can never be abandoned again!"

She looked at each girl, seeing how her strong and convincing words from his speech of sorts were affecting them. However, it wasn't enough; they needed one more push to get them to want to stay.

"We can be each other's family, the one we would have never gotten back there, in this magical island-where we can be a family forever."

Those last words pushed the girls into freely staying and each one eagerly wondered to a tree and marveled as it did the same it had done on Rose Red's first day.

None of the girls noticed the slightly sinister smirk on her face, just as she didn't notice the fully sinister smirk on a certain boys face from inside Rose Red's tree.


	3. Chapter 3: Trust has Nothing on Belief

"So, what's up with all the flowers?"

The question was innocent enough, but the mocking tone and who it was is what startled Rose Red. She had gone up into her tree house, leaving the other girls to explore their own tree houses. Sucking in a deep gust of air, she turned around to see him standing by her mirror frame, his eyes gleaming with dark amusement. She exhaled and rolled her eyes, and moved past him, annoyed with him being there and she had a brief thought that he hadn't left when she went to collect the girls.

"Why does yours not have enough?" She retorted as her temper and mood flared. She sat down on her bed and shook the flower crown off and it tumbled into the white cloth on her lap.

He simply raised an eyebrow, genuinely curious with the abundance of flowers that perfumed this island; she didn't seem like the type of girl to go frolicking through a field of dandelions, which was something he had flown over when he first came to investigated the mysterious island.

Rose Red sighed quietly; exhausted from all the magical strain she was put through previously and tired of dealing with people for the day, especially ones like him that wouldn't go away.

"It helps me, uh, _influence _the Free Girls." She told him dismissively and flashing a charming smile, "Now if you don't mind, can you go?"

His eyebrows shot up again at the snide tone in her voice, something Rose Red noted that he did a lot. He moved silently across the floor and sat beside her, ignoring her sneer at him as he casually lied back on her bed. He quiet liked it; the leaves were the only thing he had seen so far that actually seemed a bit like his. Not that he would ever compare this flowery girl island to his Neverland, which was far better than this flower patch.

"I don't think I will."

Rose Red squeezed her fists and let out a frustrated growl; she pursed her lips till they became white in color and wrapped a hand around the cool vines that wrapped around her bed post. She was prepared to tell him why he should get off her bed and before she could grab the flowers in her lap and forcefully throw the magic dust in his face and wish that he turned into a weed, another growl rang out. A growl that didn't come from Rose Red's mouth caused both her and the boy to turn their heads towards the source of the noise, which was the archway to her room. The growl sounded young and animalistic, something that proved that it didn't come from Rose Red herself or one of her Free Girls.

Rose Red narrowed her blue eyes at the sight before her; a young bear cub was up on its hind legs and growling towards her bed. Towards the boy more specifically. She couldn't help the smile of amusement at the sight, noticing that the boy just seemed to be at the brunt of all the hate on her island. The little bear cub had wild deep brown almost black eyes, though when she focused on them more clearly she noticed that they seemed to have more human than wild animal in them. The boy simply let out a sharp laugh, a cold empty laugh that made him seem more like a soulless beast than human.

"This is what you have to protect yourself. A little bear cub, my Lost Boys _eat _things scarier than that." He laughed out loud again, his voice sardonic. "I'm so afraid."

The bear stopped growling momentarily, the human in its eyes shining through more and tilted its head to the side and its little ears slumping down as it looked like it was hurt by the harsh tone and confused by the words he had chosen. That didn't last long as the wild side took over and the growling began again. Rose Red shifted off the bed and moved slowly towards the bed, a thought occurring to her.

"Apparently so." Rose Red stated in reply to him, before talking to the bear more lightly, "You were just trying to protect me, weren't you?"

The bear just nudged her leg with its nose, before emitting one last growl as she nodded her head towards the stairs and it bounded down the stairs. Giggles and some terrified shrieks were then followed from outside by what sounded like the younger Free Girls. The smile instantly dropped from Rose Red's face and she turned around, flowers in hand, and threw the flower in the direction the boy was. The flurry of yellow and pink powder swirled in the air, until it abruptly stopped and dropped to the floor. She met his gaze unwavering and saw the furry and cold hate that was placed in the green-blue color.

"So that's what the flowers do," He spat out, "You should know: no one can beat me, especially with magic."

He flew out the window with that, narrowly avoiding the wooden bars that were placed within the frame. Rose Red's lips parted and she stumbled back, not expecting the boy to have done that. Instead of feeling fear, like she expected, she only felt anger at not being able to enact what she was going to do. With a yell of annoyance, she stomped down the stairs, each step disappearing behind her, and shoved the flower crown onto her head harshly. Her lips were pursed and her fist's were clenched at her side. Taking a deep breath and stopping on the bottom step, she placed a friendly mask on her face and walked out into the clearing.

Some of the girls, Milania and a older brunette named Eliana, were sitting on the ground and playing with dandelion flowers, others, a fourteen year old blonde girl named Margaret with big eyes and a ten year old girl with curly brown hair and dark skin named Sarine, were playing with the little bear cub. Then there was Thea, who was leaned against a tree with white blossoms and a glare in her green eyes that was met by the mock- confusion in the blue eyes of Rose Red. Rose Red assumed the others were in their tree or exploring the island.

With a crease in her eyebrows, she made her way across the soft grass of the clearing and skirted past a mud spot. Thea's glare only became harsher as the curly brunette came closer, her lips twisting into a scowl.

"What's the matter, Thea?" Rose Red asked with a light innocent tone.

"Don't think you're fooling me, I know you Anastasia-you have something planned." Thea said lowly, looking down at Rose Red.

For a fraction of a second, Rose Red's eyes narrowed before the calm mask washed over them. "I have no clue what you're talking about."

She took that as her leave and made her way back into the clearing before stopping and calling back over her shoulder. "Oh, and its Rose Red now."

"Alright girls, I think we should have some fun!"

All the girls came out of their tree house at Rose Red's shout and they all circled around her, smiling excitedly; Thea sat on the outskirt of the circle, a small and fake smile on her lips. Rose Red lowered herself onto a nearby rock with dark green moss creeping up on the sides. She smiled at all the girls crying out which games they wanted to play.

"Let's play hide and seek!" Shouted out Sarine.

"I want to play tag!" Was shrieked from a sixteen year old girl named Cerebella, who had short brown hair and was very skinny.

"Can we play-"

Before the shouts could continue on, Rose Red cleared her throat and they all ceased what they were doing.

"I think we should play find the thorn."

The smiles had dropped at the underlying threatening tone in her voice, before a dazed look appeared over their eyes as a multitude of colored powder rained down from each girl's tree. The colors delicately swirled around its own girl, becoming woven in where their veins were above their skin and lead up to their hearts and mind. The smell of each flower wafted around the clearing, causing a strong and almost unpleasant smell, and the powder soon cleared from the air after a minute. The dazed look appeared in each girls face and for a moment, one glimmer of a second, each girl's eyes flashed the color powder they were attacked with.

All but one girl, one girl still sat there with a horrified look in her face as she struggled to get to her feet and run away with the thick perfume and cloud surrounding her-though it had no effect. Her eyes remained the same and still held a harsh glare-albeit a little frantic- as she looked over each girls face and released a sigh of relief when the powder cleared and the dazed look soon faded after a moment. She scanned over each girls face once more, to make sure they were truly alright as she was baffled at what she had just seen, before stopping at one girl in particular. The same girl who was looking back with a sinister smile that no one seemed to see, the same girl who had once been the kindest person she knew, and the same girl who was the vilest and cruelest person in the whole Enchanted Forest. Rose Red.

Rose Red whispered five words before disappearing and leaving a puff of magenta powder that was swirled with dandelion yellow.

"Time to find the thorn."

* * *

"I don't get it, where are we going to find _the _thorn she wants; there are millions of roses here." Eliana said as she trudged through the thick cat tail plants, pausing to wipe away the little fluff that was getting stuck in her dark brown hair.

"We have to find it because Rose Red wants it!" Margret stated as if it were obvious, the other girls all eagerly agreeing.

Thea was the only one who didn't nod along enthusiastically; she just narrowed her eyes at the use of _Anastasia's _new name of sorts. Who even called themselves that, is what Thea wanted to know. She also wanted to know why the girls were all suddenly excited about this game-coincidently after Ana sprinkled her little magic dust. Thea was shaken out of her thoughts as she suddenly became aware of the silence around her and the lack of giggling girls. Her head shot around the little path she was in, desperately trying to find one of the girls. Her thoughts were chasing down a darker path; she began wondering if Anastasia, Rose Red, had something to do with this.

"I didn't kill them," Rose Red deadpanned while rolling her eyes.

"Why should I believe you?" Thea snapped as she whipped around to see Rose Red leaning against a tall tree stump, that little bear at her feet.

"Because-"

She cut herself off and threw a puff of purple powder into Thea's face, who stumbled back and shielded herself panicking. Thea breathed deeply and waited to become a happy little doll for Rose Red to play with, only it didn't come. She braced herself to become mindless, but it didn't work.

"Was that to scare me?" Thea panted out, slowly getting up from the ground and rubbing the back of her head from the fall.

"Yeah, that was it." Rose Red replied absent mindedly, her eyes becoming clouded with her confusion. She immediately disappeared in a puff of powder, the bear coming with her.

She blinked a few times before stumbling over to the mirror frame and dropped her head into her hands, still confused and slightly mad it didn't work. Her thoughts went by too fast for her to comprehend, each idea of what might have happened raced in her mind. She gave a half-assed attempt to lift her head up to look into the now visible reflection.

"Why didn't it work?" She glared into her reflection, the anger growing.

"Maybe because she doesn't believe."

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**A/N: Hello readers! I wanted this chapter to be finished yesterday, but I was a lazy person and decided to procrastinate on doing my biology labs, I had three, and have now finished this chapter. I have some questions for ya'll, do you guys like the bear being added as a cub now, getting older as the story progresses, do you guys like seeing some of the other people's thoughts or just Rose Red's, do you guys like the stuff with Thea, and I think I have more questions but I'm jittery from sugar and my hands are jumping from key to key faster than I would like and making spelling harder. **

**Also wanted to say a million thank you's to each person who has decided to favorite, follow, review, and read this story. I know it's not the best written thing or even popular, but you guys make me want to write more and more. :) **

**Guest: Yep! You hit the hammer on the nail… I think that's how that saying goes. Thank you so much! **

**BettyBoopFan123: Thank you so, so, so much! This review was amazing to read, and re-read! I would totally want to live on the island, which I'm going to name soon. Believe me, it took some weird half-asleep state of mind to think of this, and I forgot about it the next morning before randomly remembering during dinner. At first, I thought there would be heaps of these fics in this fandom; I kept telling myself I needed to post this before I miss my chance. Oh gosh, I doubt my writing is nowhere near book quality writing, but I have to agree with you. I would read a book series like this; I just love the idea of Peter Pan and Neverland. :D I'm totally fine with you linking this on Tumblr, you don't need to ask me, I'm quiet flattered you actually think its good enough. :) **

** orcafan1: Sorry the chapter is a bit late; I originally planned to post new chapters every two days. Thank you for your review, you're so sweet! :D **

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**Okay readers, don't forget to review and tell me your thoughts! :) See you guys soon! **

**Also, don't forget that I am posting character portrayal pictures of each girl on my profile! **


	4. Chapter 4: Wouldn't Dream of It

Her heart thumped rapidly in her chest as she held her hand against it. Her jaw clenched as she slowly moved her eyes from her own in the reflection to the smirking face of the boy who didn't cease to bother her. He was smiling at her, but it didn't reach his cold eyes. Without waiting for her to speak or react to his presence more than she did, he sauntered over towards her and knelt beside her on the ground.

"That's the one thing our magic needs to have to work; belief." He told her leaning in closer to her ear and causing her to clench her jaw again at the closeness. He smirked again before swiftly standing up and walking back towards the window.

"Now as much as I would like to stay here and watch you figure out why she doesn't believe, I have to go. I do have an island to run." He said placing one foot through the bars in her window. "Maybe when if I can back you can tell me what it feels like to not be believed in by the person you want to be believed in the most."

Rose Red's head whipped from his reflection to him with a harsh glare in her eyes, masking the hurt from the truth in his words. She only managed to glare at her retreating form as he flew away, causing her to absently think that that must be where his island is located. She glared at the direction of his island for a beat longer before her shoulders slumped and her eyes reflected just how confused she was. It didn't make sense to her, why would something so powerful need something as simple as belief. She almost snorted aloud at the thought before it turned in to a quiet yawn. She looked over to her bed to see the little cub lying on it, as she decided she would follow the cubs' decision too.

With the game forgotten in her mind for the moment, she allowed the other girls to continue looking in the sunlight as the clearing turned dark.

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_"Poor little Anastasia, her mama didn't want her." _

_Anastasia kept her head lowered as she walked through the cold halls of the orphanage she refused to call home, despite the two years she had been spending in it. Any hope she had of getting adopted into another family was gone, she knew that she would never get another family. _

_She squeezed her lips together as she walked past the boy's room. Their taunts echoing in her mind and refusing to leave. She didn't need their constant reminder of the truth that had already been planted and grown in her mind. The hallways spelt of cold rain and failed to provide comfort as it had usually done in the house she had lived in with her mama. All she could feel was the numbness from the rains cold on her bare feet and the deadened feeling she had been given whenever she was in this building. Soon enough, she was at the door to the girl's room. The light wood was pushed open with a creek and it slammed shut from its weight as soon as she walked through the door way and her elbows bent against her will from the heaviness. _

_The other girls that were in the room didn't bother to look up, knowing that it was nine year old Anastasia who held flowers in her hair and cried at night. They didn't care though; caring about others didn't lead to themselves getting a family. All the girls knew the unspoken rule, well all but one. There was one girl, a ten year old girl with a towering height for that age._

_Dorothea, or Thea as she liked to be called, watched with her deep green eyes as the smaller girl slumped over to her designated bed. She watched as Anastasia flailed her head around until the head band slipped from her wild curls. The girl unceremoniously threw the flowers at the end of her bed, as if it burned her fingers, and slump into the worn quilt she had been found wrapped up in when she first arrived-or so Thea was told, she hadn't been around then to see it. _

_Thea continued to watch with hawk eyes trained on Anastasia until the dull toll of the bell being rung was heard, signaling that it was time to eat the afternoon stew. The golden haired girl stood up slowly and waited for Anastasia to stand up as well, when the girl didn't move, Thea left the room and trailed after the other girls that were going to the eating area. _

_Anastasia was late to the midday meal, as usual. She blearily trudged her small feet across the cold stone floor. She was barely able to hold back the shudders that threatened to tremor her small body. The oversized white nightgown did nothing to help with the cold that constantly plagued this part of the Enchanted Forest, Kältiene. The inside of the cold, gray, and dull stones matched the little village with its gray snow that nobody wanted to touch and the ashes that rained down on their heads after too many fires had been burned in the small gray stone houses. _

_With her dull blue eyes, the gray reflecting off them and making them seem colder and glazed, shifting from each impassive face as she decided where she would sit. It didn't take long for the decision to be made for her. _

_"You're still wearing those _flowers_," A stocky older boy sneered towards her face as she stood near his table._

_Rather than speak back, something she had long given up on, she just stared back at him blankly, the words just sliding off. His green eyes narrowed at her and he opened his mouth to speak to her again, to bring up the original line of how her mother fled away from her and never came back. Just before he could spit out the words and a slightly deep feminine voice cut in._

_"I think you should leave her alone." _

_Why should I do that, _Doro_thea?" He venomously whispered into the fair haired girl that towered over him and stood in front of Anastasia. _

_"If you don't I'll tell everyone about…" Her words trailed off as she tipped her head to the side and stared at him. _

_The only sign of recognition to her words was the slight widening of his cold green eyes and the flash of fear that Anastasia curiously noted. The boy sneered once more before leaning back in his seat. Thea stood straighter and wordlessly grasped Anastasia by her thin wrist and dragged her out of the room. The both padded across the cool stones and echoed small footfalls in the tall halls. They soon reached the heavy door to the girl's room and entered, Anastasia trailing behind the tall girl, confusion being the only emotion that shined through the dullness in her eyes. Though that soon left as they sat down on their own beds, Thea watching the girl with an expectant look. _

_ There were obvious differences between the girls, not including appearances. Thea had all her emotions written on her face and her eyes changed with each. Anastasia kept a blank mask that occasionally, very occasionally, shifted and gave a glimmer of emotion. Thea had her heart on her sleeve and Anastasia was frozen like the village. _

_"What do you want." Anastasia flatly stated rather than asked. Thea shifted uncomfortably before speaking. _

_"I just wanted to watch over you."_

_"That's not hard to do." She pointed out humorlessly, even though Thea released a little laugh at her words, unfazed by the unwavering eyes that she was pointedly not looking into. _

_"You know what I meant." Thea sighed. _

_Anastasia gave a short nod, before shifting in her bed. _

_"I don't really believe you." Anastasia added moments later, her eyes downcast and a glimpse into her feelings were shown. _

_"You don't need to believe in me as long as I believe in you." _

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"Rose Red you have to help us!"

Rose Red gasped as she opened her eyes, hearing shrill screams from the other girls. She felt her heart twist, forgetting that she was supposed to not care about these girls, and followed the screams down to the clearing. She could dimly hear thudding steps behind her, no doubt her little cub. The clearing brightened as soon as her bare feet met the warm grass and she narrowed her eyes at the sigh before her. One of the younger girls, an eight year old named Leslie, sprawled out on the grass with the other girls crowded around her. Thea was holding the girls head and glaring at Rose Red. The other girls just crowded around with some of them crying. Rose Red walked forwards silently and raised a questioning eyebrow directed towards Thea.

"She was poisoned from the thorn _you _asked us to find." Thea spat out through clenched teeth.

Rose Red stumbled back a bit, flabbergasted. "That- that's impossible. There is no poison on my island."

She nodded her head surely, opening her mouth a few times before shutting it.

"You're not lying are you," Thea said slowly, seeing a flash of Anastasia in her.

"I-I… I have to go." Without a second thought Rose Red turned around and ran.

She pushed her bare feet through towering trees that smelled like the earth and rain, went past the soft dandelion plant field that sprawled on and on in wave like hills and dips, she went through different weathers-though none being snow or harsh cold temperatures- and different times of the day. Soon she had reached the edge of her island, instead of sand it was grass that slowly faded to dirt then to murky then clear water. She tentatively placed her foot into the water and watched as all dirt washed away and then placed the other one in with an innocent smile gracing her pale lips and for a moment her eyes were shining with emotions and burning bright with a shade of blue that hadn't been there in a long time.

Soon her awe was placed to the back of her mind as she placed the vacant mask back on her. She plucked a rose, pale blue this time, from a nearby vine that was splattered on a slate gray rock. The cerulean powder and light gold powder swirled around her and she fluttered her eyes shut as the magic over took and the darkness she was harboring became stronger. She flashed a wolfish smile before lifting off the ground towards the direction that the boy flew towards.

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"So this is what you call an island."

A smirk played on her face when the boy turned around and faced Rose Red. She was sat in his clearing, slightly off the ground with traces of that powder on her night gown and skin, blue today. The Lost Boys stared at her with blatantly surprised faces, all but one. One stood off to the side and stared at her as if that always happened. However, Rose Red paid them no mind. She planted her bare feet into the dirt and took in the clearing. There was poorly sewn clothing hanging from rope, pots and pans and even food tossed around, a roaring fire was in the center of everything, and actual tree shacks where placed in the tree tops.

"Mine is obviously better," Rose Red continued, strolling further into the clearing. "I have a dandelion field, you know."

The boy ignored her quip, and turned to his Lost Boys. "Boys, this is Rose Red. She lives on the island I was telling you about."

"You mean that-"

"Yes, _that _one." He interrupted one of the boys and gave a sideways glance to Rose Red, who snapped her neck to look over at him speedily.

"How do you know my name?" Her question was simple and maybe even innocent, but just as it was with him the 'I might have to kill you now' gaze in her eyes told him otherwise.

"Don't worry," He told her with a roll of his blue-green eyes, "Your shadow told me."

Rose Red scoffed and kicked her foot at some dirt. "Can't really trust her. Huh, funny never thought I would be saying that about myself."

She shook her head with a sigh, "Anyway, I came here to see what was so great about this island."

Her eyes became malice filled once more and she looked at each boy in the eye, an unwavering and intimidating gaze that sent some unconsciously moving back-something that only happened with their leader.

"And, since you know my name it's only fair to know yours."

"Peter, Peter Pan." He informed her with a smug look.

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** A/N: Hello lovelies! I'm so sorry about the long wait for this chapter; I became really busy with Christmas and school. I hope this chapter explained a bit about Rose Red and Thea. Also, if you hadn't noticed one of my genres is 'Romance,' so I was wondering if you guys wanted me to change that and just solely focus on the Free Girls and tidbits of the Lost Boys, or have Rose Red and Peter Pan have a thing or her with another Lost Boy, OC or not. Also, I still need to name her island and I'm completely stumped with unoriginal names like 'Free Valley', 'Free Island,' (Wow that's creative) 'Rose Island' (Bit self-centered isn't it?) Anyway, it would be a big help if you guys could suggest some names, or I could just branch it out as another bit of Neverland. Also, do you guys want Rose Red to be mentioned in the 'Once Upon a Time' book or have stories, totally innocent and Disney-ed out, stories about her? (Which I actually find insanely funny to write and would go in depth in a side story about one that a little kid could have read to them.) **

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**BettyBoopFan123: Don't worry! She's not 'I'm going to kill you in your sleep and dance while doing it' evil and crazy, really she isn't. She's just a bit overwhelmed with all the power that has suddenly been placed on someone so spiteful and cut off. I figured that I couldn't have Rose Red without a cute protective bear, which will be mentioned more in the next chapter. I think I'm going to have the bear age a bit but the girls staying young forever, Rose Red doesn't know it yet, but she totally wants to meet Henry and see The Savior. I'm definitely going to do Peters POV now that she knows his name! I'm super excited for that! You don't need to apologize; I would honestly be confused also. The more this story progress, the more that will be learned about everything. Aw, thanks! I think it would be amazing to have tons of reviews, but honestly even if I only had one review I would be content with just knowing one person liked to read the story… or hated it, guess it depends on the review. :P**

**orcafan1: Thanks! :) **

**Guest: Omg, you are amazing! I am assuming that you are the same guest, I'm really sorry if you aren't. It really makes me happy to see that I can convey my ideas in the chapters and they have an idea of what's happening. Thank you so much for your review! **

**ElektraMackenzie: Thank you! Hope you enjoy the chapter! **

** journey: Rose Red isn't evil per say, more overwhelmed with power and the easy idea of revenge on the people who were just as lost as her but didn't care. I hope this chapter clears up some confusion with Thea, if not I can write (which I do plan on) more flashbacks or talks with Thea to get the overall idea of her out there. I think the Rose Red/ Peter Pan pairing depends on what you guys would want to read, I would be more than happy to write them as enemies or lovers. (I have to admit I giggled at that word and felt a bit weird writing it.) I guess I should word that as true loves rather than, you know that word. Thank you for your review! :) **

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**Alright you beautiful readers don't forget to review! Also, happy holidays you celebratory things! **

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**Impromptu Disclaimer: I don't own OUaT, if I did Peter would be alive and we would be married, also I would have The Doctor just randomly be mentioned. Only own my OC's however, they can't take Rose Red away from me, at least not until they decided to create one. Who knows? **


	5. Chapter 5:The Ashes Will Fall

"Well _Peter Pan_, I want to know something." Rose Red started to say, slowly moving towards Peter. "Why are there thorns on my island?"

Her teeth were clasped against each other and her gaze was accusing. Her eyes started to narrow and she watched as he quietly waved a dismissive hand towards his Lost Boys, who eagerly followed his command and left the clearing. Peter walked towards her slowly, just as she had done a moment before but then he started to circle around her.

"You should understand something Rose Red, your island reflects you, you may be able to control it but you can _really _change it." His voice was patronizing, "Your Island may seem innocent and sweet, but as you look closer into it you see the hatred and the spite in it."

"Everything on the Island reflects who I am?" She breathed out, backing up and stumbling into Peter without realizing just how close he was. She sucked in a breath of air before sharply moving away from him and staring into his eyes.

"It mimics how your feeling, haven't you noticed yet?" He raised an eyebrow and she could see the amusement in her eyes as he saw realization cloud them.

"I never thought to look." She sounded deflated, "It just makes sense, in a way. It was me who poisoned Leslie, not you."

"Of course it does, did you just think all that revenge you felt wouldn't affect the girls you want to enact it on, poor little Leslie was only the beginning of your doing"

She opened her mouth several times to unleash the bubbling emotion she felt, but it wasn't directed at him. Without any words coming to her mouth, she moved the blue flower in her hand to the other one and shook it until the powder surrounded her; she flew away without a second glance with an unseen determined gaze in her eyes.

Peter slowly smirked and moved to the middle of his clearing. "Alright boys, you can come out now."

The Lost Boys all moved into the clearing, each one that had been hiding just on the outside of the clearing, still within hearing. They crowded around their leader who had stepped up onto a log.

"That was Rose Red, as I told you the one who made her island appear suddenly." Peter Pan told them, with a dark expression already starting to cover his face.

"Why can't we just get rid of her, she is just a girl." One of the newer Lost Boys boasted.

The boy quickly let the smug smile fall of his face as he saw Peter look towards him with a wild gaze. In two long strides Peter was standing in front of the boy and silently dared him to look into his unwavering eyes.

"Do you think I haven't noticed that?" He spat rhetorically, the air crowing colder and the tension and fear rising. "If she were just a girl, she would have been gone now. But obviously she is no normal girl seeing as she is still playing a game far too complicated for her."

"Now James, do you know what happens to people who ask silly questions."

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The air in the clearing quickly grew cold as soon as Rose Red disappeared and the scent that the flowers had that blanketed the area died out as the flowers closed. The girls were too busy dotting over Leslie to notice, but Thea did. She also noticed how during random intervals in Rose Reds absence the clearing would grow form a startling hot then back the cold it had settled into. As the length of her absence grew Thea couldn't help the thought of Rose Red leaving the island out of cowardice. Her green eyes just narrowed at the thought as she absently pretended to be listening to Eliana spout out her feelings about Leslie being sick from the thorn.

Unbeknownst to them, Rose Red stood stark straight in the dark area of her island, where the thorn was. Where all the anger Rose Red felt, right in the middle of the island. The air was cold, so cold that it reminded Rose Red of the last moments she spent as Anastasia, and the air was thick and she instantly felt depressed and alone, just as she felt that night. In the heart of it all, there was a mound of dead ashy trees, all their branches huddled together and made a mound of sorts. Narrowing her eyes, she waited. It felt like she had been in the darkness for hours, just as it had felt during the fateful moment, even though it had only been a beat. Instantly, she knew when it arrived, the air suddenly grew tense and her emotions spiked. She knew it felt it too and she knew it loved each moment Rose Reds heart beated faster as each moment ticked by. 

"I see you've decided to accept the truth,"

Rose Red glared at her shadow, the thing she was once thankful for the shadow, but now she knew the truth it was nothing but the darkness inside her, the one who really wanted to be in charge.

"Accepted what?" She asked rhetorically, "That you have betrayed me and sabotaging _my_ island."

The shadow seemed to be laughing at her in its rough yet smooth voice, "I meant the darkness that will always linger in you." The shadow glided towards Rose Red, "I don't care about this island, I'm only here to, essentially, push you in the right direction."

The double meaning underlying her words weren't recognized by Rose Red, who was refusing to acknowledge the darkness. She only wanted revenge, killing them was too far and she knew it. She didn't want to blacken her heart like the monsters in her old village; she just wanted them to know what it was like to feel so secure and safe and then have it _ripped _away with no one caring about you. After all, she wanted them alive to feel what she felt for so long.

"You don't know what you want yet, just let me-"

"No!" Rose Red shrieked, cutting off the shadow that was outstretching her hand as she cooed at the girl. "This is my island, my emotions, and my plan!"

The shadow glided back, and then titled its head. "Hmm, it seems like you don't know what's right for you yet. I guess I'll have to shove you instead of push this time."

Rose Red could only stare on as the shadow disappeared into the murky cave of sorts, before deciding not to spend another moment listening to the shadows empty threats or being in the coldness she didn't want to feel. With her eyes tightly shut, she vanished from the center of the island and opened them once she finally smelled the flowers.

All the girls were where she had left them, save Thea who had moved to sit on the outside of the small group. Leslie looked horrible, her tan skin was tinted gray and slicked with sweat and her brown eyes where now filled with an emotion that was all too familiar to Rose Red. The realization, the abandonment, the betrayal, and the sadness. She knew that moment, what the thorn had done, it had removed the spell she had placed on them, the spell that would make them feeling secure and safe happen quicker and never dwindle until Rose Red wanted to yank it away from them.

It wasn't exactly the way she saw this happening, and she didn't like an unnecessary death, but she couldn't help the satisfactory feeling that sunk into her as Leslie saw how Rose Red felt, what she didn't expect was to see the sympathy in those brown eyes that were rapidly being glazed over with the unavoidable death. She, Leslie, was aware now and she wanted to beg for forgiveness now that she saw things the way Rose Red did. Unfortunately for her, she was too late.

With one piercing scream that echoed throughout the island and that even left Rose Red feeling shudders down her spine. It grew eerily quiet; none of the Free Girls dared to move, speak, or even breathe. Slowly, so very slowly, something that hadn't been seen on the island, but was not forgotten, the ashes rained down. Their gray color gently rested over Leslie's still body, it seemed to wrap around her until it faded away, taking her body with it. All the girls were too distraught and enticed by what they had seen to notice Rose Red smirking at their faces. They didn't even recognize the power she held, all the things she could do with it.

None of them noticed how she disappeared, just as they didn't notice Thea trailing behind the wild curls with a scowl.

"What did you do?" Thea growled, grabbing Rose Red's shoulder harshly and pulling it back. "I always knew you were a bit off Ana, but _this_? This is crazy!"

Thea glared at the unresponsive girl in front of her, who didn't even seem to care.

"How do you know I did it?" Rose Red pointed out, slipping her shoulder away, "I wasn't even there."

Thea released a humorless laugh, shaking her head. "Of course you had something to do with it! It's your island that your island, Anastasia, you make the rules."

Rose Red didn't say anything; she didn't even bother to defend herself further-much to Thea's chagrin.

"Do you have anything to say, at all?" Thea yelled out loud after a few moments of unwavering silence, much like it was in the clearing they were standing outside of.

Thea waited a few more beats of silence before Rose Red looked into Thea's eyes and slowly spoke before vanishing in a puff of flower powder.

"Welcome to Foreverland."

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**A/N: I don't know you guys, I feel like this chapter is a bit bleh. It feels choppy and kind of stupid to me. I guess it's true when they say you're your harshest critic. If you guys don't like it either, I don't mind re-writing a new chapter, it just doesn't feel right to me. I guess it could be based on the fact that I wrote this over the span of a couple of weeks and didn't really get into the flow. **

**Also, I need to apologize for how short it is and for the really late update. I feel like I should have more than a half-assed chapter and lame apology to make up for it. I guess I could give you a little spoiler for the future of Rose Red and Peter Pan's relationship: They will have a relationship. Okay, that "spoiler" sucked, but personally I ship it. (I totally need a ship name now ^_^) But really, I can't explain how bad I feel for the late update and shortness (of the chapter) and promise I will update this as frequent as humanly possible. I was just really swarmed with school, family, holidays, events, headaches, and something with my ribs- don't know what exactly yet. **

**Also, I really don't want to single anyone out, because you all are amazing( really guys I probably wouldn't write or have ideas as okay as they are if it wasn't for all of you), but I really need to thank BettyBoopFan123 for the name Foreverland- it just seemed perfect! :)**

**Also (wow I use that word a lot) I didn't really know if you guys like the ending of Peter's part, where he assumingly kills or injures James, I don't see him as some daisy picking nice guy, but I don't know if you guys like that portrayal of him. I can promise that he won't be very dark in this, just the basic Panness that is him.**

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**ElektraMackenzie: I have to be honest, that was probably the best/funniest review I've ever read and I have never snorted out loud, or as loud, to a review. **

**KreativeGirl: Thanks; it makes me feel really awesome, dare I say talented, when I read that. :) Don't worry; their relationship will be staring soon. ;) **

**Guest: I can't say this enough; your reviews about the chapters are pretty awesome! If I wasn't the writer of this, I would swear you were me reviewing. (I promise you guys, I don't review my chapters, it's just a really cool person I don't know.)**

** BettyBoopFan123: Thank you! I have to admit, I was pretty excited to write about her there, my inner ten year old( and current age :P) was fulfilling a part of its dream, well if I was there I would probably have stuffed Peter and Felix into a bag and taken them back with me-but that's another story. I totally agree, I want this romance to go pretty slow and sweet and advance with the occasional bit where Rose Red attempts the make her bear attack him or throw him out of her tree house window, just kidding…kind of. I love the name Foreverland; I love the idea a lot and can't thank you enough for suggesting it! Seriously, without you I probably would have given it some weird name and then regret it for a billion years. Yeah, I think keeping it just as her island is a good idea- Peter can't control everything. Yes! That would be perfect; Emma would be in for a surprise with that! Speaking of OUAT story and Disney, currently making the OUAT chapter and cover and recently posted the Disney story, which may be just a one-shot or could continue depending on what you all want. **

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**Thank you guys so much for the reviews, the follows, and the favorites it means so much! **

**Before I forget it, on my page you will find that I have posted the Disney version of Rose Red's story! Go check it out if you want to! It could play a part, as in a canon character referencing it, but you don't have to read it if you don't want to. :) Don't forget to review you guys! I love you all and will see you next time! Byeeeeeee! **


	6. Chapter 6:It's Only Fair

The somber air in the clearing didn't last long and by the time Rose Red had popped up back there the girls were back to their mindless giggling. All it had taken was a wave of her pale hand and a flurry of powder to swirl around them to get them up and essentially forget about the girl who was dead. It's not like any of them actually cared about her. They really didn't, just as they hadn't cared about Rose Red when she was so frail, now with the powers she held they didn't realize just how much she could twist and bend them until they just _snapped._ Sure, maybe in her heart there was a fleck of guilt knowing away at her, but she didn't have time to focus on that. Not when she was planning her game and moving her pawns. However, she didn't have time to do that, not with the unwanted presence that had just moved to her island. With a smirk dancing on her lips, she turned on the tips of her bare feet and sauntered back to her tree house, its smooth bark steps forming under her feet.

She couldn't see him right away, he must have still been flying she mused. The smirk deepened on her face and the dark glint formed in her eyes. She, as slowly as ever, strolled over to the bars on her window and waited for him to appear. Just to add on to the mood she was in, she creased her eyebrows and watched as a flurry of wind picked up away from her tree house and narrowed her eyes at the clouds of powder that arose from the sudden wind. It was even better than she planned, the powders swirled into a dull and thick almost shield like substance.

_'Let that be a lesson'_ she thought to herself with borderline sick amusement.

Somewhere deep down in her she knew that he was right and so was the shadow, as much as it pained her to admit to herself let alone out loud and to the people themselves- if the shadow was considered a person at all. That darkness deep inside Rose Red was spreading; she could feel its slowly growing presence loom a bit more over her with the moments that passed. It was coiling inside and waiting to be freed and with one last straw to be snapped, she even knew that it would be released. It wasn't a thought that she relished in, but if it was necessary then she wasn't going to be it away. Though, that didn't mean she was going to let it control everything, she was the one in charge. A complex that had developed from the long and cold, quiet literal and emotionally, ten years she had spent at the orphanage in her little pathetic village. Rose Red had to keep a laugh in at the thought, imagine if they all could see her now.

She heaved a sigh and moved away from the window, she didn't have time to wait for him. She had things to do and people to plan their demise for. It was easier to say than act on those thoughts. She knew, however, that it won't take long for these plans and ideas to fall into place though, as long as she wouldn't get as side tracked as she had been lately. She didn't need Thea and her thoughts, which she knew were correct seeing as the blonde always had good intuition, and then there was Peter Pan and her shadow, the two her where scheming behind her back , the former managing to get under her nerves and take up her thoughts and time more than she would like to admit. Which she wouldn't. 

While she continued her waiting, she settled for running her comb, something that was made from wood, through her curly hair-though it did nothing to completely tame the spirals. However, it managed to occupy her time and thoughts, even soothe her a bit into a calmer attitude to rationally think of the perfect moment to execute her preparation.

"Hello, Rose."

There it was, the painfully all too familiar voice that belong to none other than Neverlands' own leader: Peter Pan.

Rose Red's shoulders twitched from surprise and her cheeks flooded red with an anger than was brewing strong. She tightened her grip on the wooden comb in her hands and tensely pried it from her hair and sat it on top of a wooden shelf with a sharp clamor, giving it the brunt of her anger and the rage she could unleash.

Which is what Peter Pan was waiting for, he wanted to test her and push her and bend her till she snapped and her plans came crumbling down. He watched the curly haired sight before him, with the overly exaggerated and tense movements, the reddening cheeks and neck, and the fist that had yet the open. It was amusing to him, to see how one so frail looking could become so deadly, as if when compared to him, in a second and a few taunting words. Though, it didn't take long to set her off, something he noticed quickly from the moment he had come to investigate this excuse for an island. Though it wasn't much of an island, and he had to admit he did use it to an advantage at tuning into who she was. He observed as she stood up, stiffly and overly carefully, and he had to admit he was preparing for her to at any moment try to pierce him with the comb, which almost made him laugh at the thought of some girl thinking she could lay a hand on him.

"Don't call me Rosie."

There it was, the gritted out words and shaking frame as she slowly turned to him, the blue eyes almost dancing with fury, pure raw anger. And it amused him to no end.

"Why not, only seems fair since you call me Peter." He retorted, smiling inwardly at the burning color her cheeks kept glowing as she looked ready to scream.

"Well than Peter _Pan_, you should know something." She started, speaking overly calmly for someone with the intense look of hatred in her eyes and body movement, "No. One. Calls. Me. Rosie."

"Looks like I just did _flower_." He pointed out.

And there it was, he got to watch her go from angry to shattered in one move. He knew how low it was, stooping to childhood names her mother called her, but it was worth it. Someone needed to remind her who was here first. She narrowed her eyes; still it didn't stop the shine of sadness they had taken. He knew she would be questioning where he had gotten the information on the little pet name, which made it easier for her to realize her own shadow had spoken to him again. Well, that was what he had told her. Her shadow was just very open to other shadows, namely his own.

"Why are you even here?" She demanded to know.

"Can't I just"

"No. No you can't." She cut him off, moving to sit on the edge of her bed. "I want to know why _you_ are _here_."

"Well-"

He began to speak, something sarcastic no doubt, but cut himself off as he tuned back into his island. He could feel a shudder run through him as another presence entered the island. Knowing fully well who it could be, he smirked wildly before turning to Rose Red.

"Looks like we can have this conversation later."

He left her with her mouth open wide and her anger yells echoing after him as he flew over the island. She tried her best to knock him out of the sky, powder in his face, wind slapping his skin, and even rain drops pelting at him, but none of it worked. He narrowed his eyes as he flew over the pathetic flowers and streams, almost giving his thanks once he had flown back into his own island. He turned around, finally being on the ground, and let the smirk fall onto his face as he saw the presence that had made him leave the island.

"Well, can't say I didn't see this coming."

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**A/N: I'm so, so, so sorry it's insanely short and really late. I promise that my updates will be quicker and chapters longer, also this is more of a filler and setting up for the next chapter, which may or may not start setting off for the Rose Pan relationship, ahhhh I love ship names and will probably call them everything under the sun that makes sense because I am horrible at choosing things. Does anyone have a guess as to who is on Peter's island? I'm hoping it throws you a curveball, or however that term goes. ^~^ **

** orcafan1: Thank you! Sorry this chapter is late, but I promise the updates will be quicker. :)**

** BettyBoopFan123: Your reviews are absolutely amazing! Yeah, I'm thinking of using every moment I can to work on this story, in the evenings and weekends because I just feel really bad when I don't have a new chapter out as fast as humanly possible. I can't wait to write their relationship, it's going to be insanely fun. :D I can't wait to do the love/hate relationship that they're going to have, more than likely she's going to express the urge to throw him out her window. Omg, I can picture him saying that and her just throwing the powder in his face before rubbing in the fact that she has an island that's not going anywhere, hmm maybe I could use this before they start the relationship. Funny, I'm now off to continue the Disney story! :P**

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**Don't forget to review, I love you all and hope you enjoy the story and what is to come! **


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